Exploring the Island 7 



road had been travelled before. "How shall we get 

 across?" said Edna. 



''That's simple," remarked William. "We will 

 wade and carry you between us on a pack-saddle." 

 So the boys pulled off their shoes and socks, rolled 

 up their trousers, and clasped their hands and wrists 

 together so that they made a very comfortable seat 

 for Edna. In the deepest part, she had to stick her 

 feet straight out in front to keep from getting them 

 wet. While crossing, she took some of the water up 

 in her hand and tasted it, but it was so full of ashes 

 that she could not think of drinking it. 



The sight of water and her failure to get a drink 

 made Edna at once very thirsty. The boys tried to 

 get the idea out of her mind, but the more they ar- 

 gued the hotter the sun got and the drier the sand. 

 Indeed, the boys would not have objected to a cool 

 drink themselves. The three brave little explorers 

 sat down in the shade of a rock and talked it over. 

 If they turned back now, all their trouble would have 

 been for nothing. Still, if the river water was bad, 

 they could not hope to find a spring that wasn't full 

 of ashes too, and the farther they went the thirstier 

 they would get. 



"Look at those funny round poles all bent over." 

 W^illiam pointed to a little sandy hillock nearby and 



